The UP Warriorz have taken one of the most radical decisions ahead of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) mega auction, releasing almost their entire squad, including some of the biggest names in women’s cricket. The franchise retained only one player, who is 21-year-old batter Shweta Sehrawat, for Rs 50 lakh, leaving themselves with a massive Rs 14.5 crore purse and four Right-To-Match (RTM) cards going into the auction later this month.
The move, seen as a complete overhaul, came under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Abhishek Nayar, who has replaced Jon Lewis. Nayar, who will also serve as Kolkata Knight Riders’ head coach in the 2026 IPL season, described the decision as a strategic reset aimed at building a fresh and competitive team.
Among the major releases were captain Deepti Sharma, Australian keeper-batter Alyssa Healy, England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, all-rounder Grace Harris, and pacer Kranti Goud. The franchise’s decision to release Deepti, fresh off her Player of the Tournament performance in India’s historic 2025 World Cup victory, surprised many fans and analysts. Explaining the reasoning behind the move, Nayar said the management wanted to start afresh and use the full strength of their purse to rebuild the squad.
“It’s always hard when it comes to retentions, when you have so many good players — leaders in their own rights, high-performing players. But I think the thought from the franchise was to go in with a clean slate. Have as much money in the purse as possible to make sure we can not only get the players that we feel can win the Championship, but also get a lot of these players back in the auction. The RTMs give you the power to do so,” Nayar told JioStar.
Nayar hinted at using RTMs
After finishing fourth in 2024 and last in 2025, the UP Warriorz appear to be charting a new course for the upcoming season. Nayar hinted that the team could still bring back some of their key players using RTMs.
“Having said that, it’s never easy to make these decisions. Right or wrong, never in doubt is something we believe in. The thought process will be to go in with a full purse, try and create the best combination possible. And the best team possible that we feel can help us win the Championships. Clean slate, go out all guns blazing,” he added.
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